Tag Archives: Ted Cruz

An Open Letter and Urgent Plea To All Republican Delegates Headed to Cleveland

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By Gary P Jackson

Congratulations! You have been selected by your community peers to represent them at the Republican National Convention this coming July in Cleveland, Ohio. You have been trusted by the members of your community to represent not only their best interests, and the best interests of the Republican Party, but most importantly, you have been trusted with looking out for the best interest of the nation. It is most important to remember that your duty to God and Country supersedes any other loyalties, real or perceived.

This is an awesome responsibility you have been trusted with. One that can shape history, and the future of the party, the nation, and the world. Many men and women have come before you, and on several notable occasions, they have made tough, but correct, decisions that have altered history, and made America, and the world, better for it. It is with that note that I hope to remind you just how serious your responsibility as duly elected delegates to the convention is. You hold the future, not only of the party, but the United States of America, and even the world, in the palm of your hand.

Noting this seriousness, and the dire circumstances you, the party, and the nation find ourselves in, I must have a serious talk with each and every one of you. This I shall attempt through this open letter and urgent plea.

It should come as no surprise that the Republican Party is seriously divided, and many are in open revolt over the so-called “presumptive nominee” Donald Trump. The shouts of “Never Trump!” are very real, and very serious. Many who have held their nose and placed party over principle in order to “win” an election are simply not willing to support such a vile, repugnant, and totally unacceptable [and COMPLETELY UNQUALIFIED] candidate as Trump.

Much has already been written about the fact than many, if not most, of the delegates headed to Cleveland are loyal to Ted Cruz, and were elected by their peers as “Cruz delegates” even in instances where the state party would claim those delegates are “bound” to Donald Trump, at least on the first ballot. It’s no secret that while Trump was doing his Vaudeville Act as “Trump the Insult Comic Politician” Cruz and his team were out there among the American people developing, and cultivating, a solid ground game to not only serve him in the primaries, but the general election, as well. This is a very important matter that I will discuss with you a little more at length before we are done.

I should tell you, once you start reading, this letter and plea may seem a little long winded, but I assure you that’s because I need to pass on legal and historical facts, as well as information you and your fellow delegates need to make a wise and considered decision, once you get to Cleveland.

Most of the latest talk about Cruz delegates dominating the convention, of course, surrounds a possible floor fight over the very platform of the Republican Party, since Donald Trump and his Pro-Planned Parenthood, pro-single-payer heath care, and pro-raising the minimum wage [among other things] stances are hardly compatible with the Republican Party! Many pundits, party officials, and “thought leaders” assume the battle is lost and Trump’s nomination is a fait accompli, so in their mind, you are their last defense, and your only real role, is to at least salvage the party platform and whatever dignity the GOP may have left!

Well, I’m here to tell you that you a much bigger role to play, should you choose it. A role that others before you have taken, when history and circumstances demanded it. You have a true opportunity to not only save the party, but possibly save the nation, and the greater world beyond our borders. Yes, my friends, this election and your decisions are that serious, and that important.

If you truly understand just how unacceptable and disastrous Donald Trump would be as the Republican Party nominee for President, then you have only one course of action: Refuse to place Donald Trump’s name in nomination as the Republican candidate. Barring your ability to effect that refusal and Trump’s name is somehow placed in nomination and seconded, refuse, and rally others to refuse to vote in affirmation of such a nomination, and deny Trump the required 1237 delegate votes [50% + 1] that are required for him to be the nominee. This is a course of action you are duly elected to take, should you choose to take it. History supports you on this.

You may have some questions and concerns. Let me try to answer those concerns by addressing questions you may have, starting with:

*** “But I am ‘bound’ to Donald Trump on the first ballot, and must vote for him, even if my conscience says otherwise.

Uh, not so much.

The fact is, only once in the entire history of the party have Republican delegates been bound by convention rules to vote for the winner of a state primary or caucus, or for that matter, follow the results of those primaries and caucuses in any manner whatsoever.

The year was 1976 and Ronald Reagan mounted a serious campaign to defeat the sitting Republican President, Gerald Ford. After pardoning Richard Nixon, post Watergate, Ford wasn’t exactly America’s most popular elected official! Though pardoning Nixon was the right thing to do, to move the country forward, many resented it, and Conservatives understood it would hurt him in the general election, most likely to the point of no return. [which it did] The establishment stood by him though, and at the convention, the rules committee amended the traditional rules, so that, for the first time in GOP history, Republican delegates were “bound” by the results of the elections. Had this not been the case, a real floor fight would have occurred, and Reagan may have well been the Republican nominee for 1976, and who knows how history would have been altered, mostly for the better. It should be noted that the rule binding delegates to the results of state elections was REMOVED at the 1980 Republican convention, and the rules have not changed since.

According to Curly Haugland a delegate-at-large, and senior member of the rules committee, all Republican delegates to the 2016 convention are, in fact, “Super Delegates.” He goes on to say:

Super delegates at the GOP convention are afforded the privilege of choosing which candidate they can cast their ballot for in the first round of voting, unlike regular delegates from states with binding primaries who must adhere to their state contests’ results, until the second round of balloting.

Haugland has, of course, been challenged on this, by more than a few, but cites rulings by the United States Supreme Court that affirm political parties are PRIVATE organizations and have the ability to set the rules regarding how delegates may or may not vote. These rules, of course, are set by the delegates themselves, at the convention, and these rules supersede any state party rules. Again, no Republican delegate has been bound to a candidate before OR SINCE 1976!

From the article:

Haugland responded to an accusation that his claim is wrong from a legal stand point and the RNC rules are not the relevant rules guiding the issue of binding delegates to their primary election result, but that different state statutes are the primary authority.

The United States Supreme Court has held several times that political parties enjoy protection from both the First and Fourteenth Amendments as they pursue their political objectives. The Republican Party is free to choose whether or not they want to be governed by state laws,” Haugland argued in a written statement.

He writes, “The case in point is the 1976 Republican National Convention that voted to bind the delegates to cast their convention votes according to the results of binding primaries. (State laws)The 1980 Republican National Convention voted to rescind the 1976 action based on testimony, stated in part, ‘The Supreme Court has spoken to this…they stated that party rules are supreme over state law.’ (Transcript of 1980 Convention Rules Committee, Page 67)”

He adds, “The Rules of the Republican Party prohibiting the binding of delegates have not been changed since the 1980 convention.”

You can read much more here.

Kerry Picket at The Daily Caller adds:

Haugland noted that the RNC’s Counsel’s Office Tom Josefiak cited current Rule 38, also known as Unit Rule, to RNC Rules Committee members on January 19, 2006, during an orientation session for Rules Committee members :

One of the important rules changes over the last 50 years has been the unit rule prohibited…that change was made so that an individual delegate can vote his or her conscience.

Josefiak was a panelist with other convention rules experts that included RNC lawyer Ben Ginsberg, then RNC Chairman Mike Duncan, and Rules Committee member Morton Blackwell. David Norcross, chairman of the RNC Rules Committee, oversaw the meeting.

How did members react to Haugland’s claim? The North Dakota Republican told TheDC, “Not a single word challenging either the past history or the present facts, nor even a single negative comment,” he said.

Haugland sent quotes to The Daily Caller from RNC members who responded to him.

You don’t think delegates are bound on the first ballot?

Fascinating! Can I publish your letter?

1976 battle was my first taste of politics…Can I post on my blog?

Thank you, Curly. That is insightful.

This is very revealing. Watch the establishment attempt to handle this with the Convention Rules Committee.”

Nice work, Curly

Very good.

Thanks, Curly. I just don’t know what to think about all this.

Priceless!

Haugland said of the various reactions, “I guess I am not surprised about the lack of negative comments. As has been said by many before me, ‘Facts are stubborn things.

This is something Curly has held for a long time. This is nothing new in terms of his interpretation to the rule…frankly I’m intrigued because 2006 wasn’t an election year. Curly has been advocating this position for a long time, but it’s up to the delegates…Tom Josefiak was a lawyer in 2006. That wasn’t a convention ruling,” RNC Spokesman Sean Spicer told The Daily Caller.

He added, “As Curly points out the 1976 thing he speaks about was during a convention. So what the lawyer said in 2006 was not at the committee…what one lawyer says in a panel is a lot different than what delegates decide. That doesn’t change any rule. That’s a decision that gets made by the delegates. The delegates would decide how that’s interpreted, ‘Oh we’re doing that again or we’re not.’ When they go to rewrite those rules, that’s something that they could discuss.

Read more here and a copy of the letter Haugland sent to his fellow rules committee members here.

On Wednesday, Jennifer Rubin, writing for the Washington Post noted that Donald Trump has, himself, created the grounds for a contested convention, no matter how many delegates he has “bound” to him, coming into the convention. Trump has consistently refused to release his tax information. Though it’s not unprecedented for a candidate to refuse, it’s highly unusual, and speaks to Trump’s character and credibility, especially since, at the start of his campaign, he promised voters he would release the tax returns, then almost immediately had excuse, after excuse, after excuse as to why he would not be doing so. Now he says he’ll release them after November. Uh huh.

Ruben speculates as to why he refuses to release them, and also points out how this can, and likely will be used to contest Trump’s standing as a potential nominee for the presidency on the Republican Party ticket. This is well worth your time to read and understand fully!

I’ll add my notion that Trump might not want his less than intelligent or inquisitive supporters to learn of his long, deep, multi-hundred-million dollar ties to his business partner: George Soros, the Nazi, and self-proclaimed owner of the democrat party! [Trump’s ties to Soros are public record for those that know how to use Bing or Google] Though it pains me to say that my former colleagues, who are now Level V Trump cultists, men who have written extensively about the evils of George Soros, now vigorously DEFEND Trump’s involvement, and are shocked … shocked … anyone would deny an “American businessman” his “constitutional right” to do business with whomever he wanted! Those were, in fact, their exact words! Sad and scary words, my friends!

*** “But what about the ‘will of the people’?!? They chose Trump!!!!

About that. If I hear “will of the people” one more time, I swear to God in Heaven I’m going to strangle someone!

The fact is, only 20% of Registered Republicans voted for Donald Trump. Twenty. Percent. Now, of course, that doesn’t take into consideration that some states, like Texas, which Ted Cruz won in a landslide, do not require voters to register by political party. At any rate, if you are in fact, as Registered Republican, chances are pretty good Donald Trump is not your candidate! Moreover, Trump still has only around 40% of the total votes cast in the primaries and caucuses. Most voters chose someone else. Put another way, the “will of the people” seems to be, if not #NeverTrump, at the very least anybody BUT Trump!

*** “Even so, to deny Donald Trump the nomination would be unprecedented and cause great upheaval

Yeah, not so much!

The fact is, should you chose to do the right thing, and deny Trump the nomination, you wouldn’t be the first, or even the second delegation in history, to a Republican National Convention, to ignore the “will of the people” or take matters into your own hands!

The year was 1860. History tells us this was a turbulent time in America. The democrat party, which had it’s convention before the GOP, adjourned it’s first attempt at that year’s national convention, because they failed to nominate a candidate! For the GOP’s part, this was only their second convention ever, and the first after the virtual collapse of the Whig Party.

Former New York Governor, and United States Senator William Henry Seward was considered a shoe-in, and the presumptive nominee. He should have been, too, because unlike Trump today, Seward, who had previously been elected as a Whig, was a good fit for the new Republican Party, a party that was founded on the sole purpose of abolishing slavery once and for all. Seward had a good record of not only opposing slavery, but actively helping Negro slaves. A funny thing happened on the way to the forum though. It seems Seward angered many in the party for his support of immigrants and Catholics [some stupidity never changes] then he angered his long time supporters with that time honored Republican tradition [Hell, he may have started it!] of “moving to the center“! He should have waited, like modern Republicans do, until after he got the nomination to “pivot“! He also had ties to the infamous political fixer Thurlow Weed, which seemed to sour everyone.

At any rate, the delegates, sensing a political disaster [never mind that democrats were imploding, with Seward, the GOP would likely lose the entire Western USA] chose another path, but not before all kinds of wheeling and dealing that included offering up cabinet posts and other such nonsense. After two days of this, and multiple ballots, the Republicans chose an old country lawyer, and former U.S. Congressman from Illinois, by the name of Abraham Lincoln. I don’t think I need to quote the resume of the man many consider one of our greatest presidents of all time!

It should be noted the Lincoln refused to participate in any backroom dealings, or handing over of patronages to delegates for their support!

One of the more interesting conventions happened in 1920. There had been eight candidates running for the nomination. By the time the convention rolled around, things were still wide open, with General Leonard Wood, Illinois Governor Frank Lowden, and California Senator Hiram Johnson all considered potential “presumptive nominees“! Ohio Senator Warren G. Harding had been a front-runner, at one point, but as often happens, his campaign played out and lost favor with the voters.

Much like we’ve heard for what seems like a million times this election season, the talking heads all predicted a “dark horse,” or “white knight,” as we’ve heard then called this 2016 season … would actually be nominated. [The more things change, the more they stay the same!] Pennsylvania Governor William Cameron Sproul, Pennsylvania Senator Philander C. Knox, Kansas Governor Henry Justin Allen, Massachusetts Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, or 1916 nominee Charles Evan Hughes were all “Golden Boys” to some! Sproul was emerging as the leader of this “dark horse/white knight“crew though.

Long story short, the 1920 convention was lively, to say the least! After all kinds of back and forth, two days, and nine, count em, nine ballots, Mr. “No Chance in Hell” Warren G Harding finally jumped into the lead. On the tenth ballot, Harding finally secured the required number of delegates needed to be declared the nominee. It was a nasty fight mainly because another candidate, Senator Hiram Johnson, who pretty much hated Harding [The feeling was reportedly mutual] refused to release his delegates! It’s been said, that in the end, Harding’s nomination was engineered by party bosses in a “smoke filled room” but at any rate, it was the delegates who chose Harding over the hollowed and sacred “will of the people“!

So as you see, as a delegate to the Republican National Convention, you indeed hold the party and the nation’s future in your hands. You and your fellow delegates have the ability, and duty, to exercise your judgement, even if it goes against the “will of the people.” Often delegates have a better sense of things than an angry, irrational mob, such as what we have today in the guise of Trump supporters.

*** “But Gary, if we DO go against the ‘will of the people’ the GOP will be in disarray and we will lose to Hillary because Trump voters will be pissed off!

Trump voters are cultists, so who knows what they might do! Trump and his fixer: Roger Stone, Jr. have threatened violence against delegates and riots in the streets should Trump’s nomination be “stolen” from him! That alone should tell you that neither you, nor I, want this man anywhere within a 100 miles the Oval Office, not even as part of the tourist tour of the White House!

I can tell you that politics in 1860 and 1920, most especially 1920, were just as nasty as they are today! They didn’t have the social media we have, but corrupt, dishonest, muckraking journalists, only happy to rile voters up, were a dime a dozen then, just as they are today!

In 1860 Abraham Lincoln defeated the “southern” democrat, John C. Breckinridge 180 electors to 72. A pretty decent landslide! Two other candidates got 39 and 12 electors respectively. It’s notable that the “official” democrat Stephen A. Douglas [As in the Lincoln-Douglass debates] got the 12 votes! Add all three of Lincoln’s opponents together and he still wins in a landslide!

The 1920 election, after what was the most contentious [some might even say, figuratively, the “bloodiest“] Republican convention in history, Warren G Harding defeated Ohio democrat James Cox in an absolute BLOWOUT 404 electors to 127! That translates to 60.3% of the popular vote for Harding to Cox’s 34.2%!

So, dear delegate, the last worry on your mind should be how your much considered decision of whether or not to deny Trump the nomination, will effect the outcome of the general election in November. History says, if you pick a man of honor and principle, things will be just fine.

*** “But what about my loyalty to the Republican Party?

Your loyalty, as an American, is to God and Country. Please don’t forget that you are not bound to any candidate, despite what your state party may claim, and you have multiple rulings by the United States Supreme Court, based on the 1st and 14th Amendments to the Constitution, to back you up!

*** “But Trump will get mad, run as a ‘third party’ candidate and screw us all!

Not to worry. So-called sore loser laws in many states, including the must wins ones, all prohibit such a thing. Once Trump ran as a candidate for the nomination of a political party, these laws prohibit him, or any other losing candidate, from moving further along. This would, any many cases, also prohibit any sort of write-in campaign, though you can bet a few die hard Trumpsters would do it anyway. You shouldn’t let a 3rd party or write -in effort be of any concern in your decision making.

BTW, getting back to your notion of loyalty to the RNC. It was the leadership of the Republican Party that allowed Trump and his circus act to gain steam in the first place! We all remember that Trump proclaimed that if everyone didn’t sign a “loyalty pledge” to support the eventual nominee, he would bolt and run 3rd party, something he could have done, since the voting hadn’t yet started. Trump, of course, seemed to be free of any obligation, himself, and continually threatened to “go rogue” should he be treated “unfairly” by the GOP, any candidate, or the voices in his head!

Trump was allowed to bash, not only fellow candidates, with absolute and ridiculous lies, but the party itself, with absolutely no repercussions!

The Republican leadership [such that it is] cowered in fear of this orange buffoon, when they should have told him to take a hike! They should have told him that his nonsense was not going to be tolerated, and he could take his candidacy elsewhere!

You may or may not know this, but Donald Trump has been running for President off and on since 1987! Trump was, in fact, the Reform Party candidate for President in 2000. He received just a taste over 15,000 votes nationwide. Knowing this, Trump didn’t pose much of a threat as an independent candidate, and no way in hell would Trump have spent his own money in 2016, when it’s generally accepted one needs close to a BILLION DOLLARS to mount a competitive presidential campaign.

Trump would have most certainly done better, as an independent, than he did in 2000, simply because the media loves circus acts and train-wrecks, and Trump would have provided a double shot of both, almost daily! [At least for the short term] The fact is, though, the media would have quickly settled in on the serious contenders for both party nominations and the general election.

*** “So, who do we nominate in Trump’s place?

As we both know Ted Cruz has the second best showing in delegates won through the election process, and it’s not even close. Past that, most delegates that are “bound” to Trump, were actually elected at their state conventions, by their fellow citizens, as Cruz delegates. [Or loyalists, if you prefer] At any rate, it’s no shock to anyone, that many, if not a strong majority, of the delegates going to Cleveland, in fact, support Ted Cruz.

You may not be able to give Cruz the nomination on the first ballot, as more than a few delegates may have doubts about voting conscience over the glorious “will of the people,” but you certainly have more than enough to deny Trump the nomination, on the first ballot, which means his bid would be over.

A floor fight won’t be a piece of cake, but the alternative, having a DEMOCRAT as the nominee for President on the Republican Party ticket, is just too hateful to contemplate!

*** “But Trump will WIN! He will take it to Hillary like he did to his Republican opponents.

Sure he will!

Regular readers of our blog know that I hate conspiracy theories with a passion. I go out of my way to debunk them, when I can!

One of the things that disgusts me, and millions more, is Trump’s embrace of such things, including accusing Ted Cruz’s father of somehow being mixed up in the murder of a beloved United States President! And don’t get me started on the birther nonsense that he threw out there directed not only at Cruz, but Marco Rubio as well. Trump’s raving lunatic supporters, of course, embraced all of this, with more than a few nuts claiming to have personally come in contact with Rafael Cruz and Lee Harvey Oswald together in New Orleans. Never mind that these young Trumpsters were likely not yet born at that time! And never mind that while Oswald was PRO-Castro, the elder Cruz was ANTI-Castro by that time!

Anyhow, I’ll give you my two cents on Trump and his actual desire to win the presidency. I’d say the chances that Trump ever had any intention of being our next President are slim, and none. And while I have no hard evidence to back my conspiracy theory up, I certainly have plenty of circumstantial evidence, starting with the fact that Trump has been one of Hillary Clinton’s top money men, supporting her every run for office, including giving her [and her PACS] some $200,000 in support of her 2008 presidential campaign. Trump is also a major contributor to the Clinton Foundation, and all of this, including donations to Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, and a whole cast of democrats, are far above the “just doing business, because Trump is … you know … a businessman” rate!

Let’s not forget Trump verbal support for Hillary either. After Benghazi, and all the lies, standing in front of those flag draped coffins, Trump praised Hillary as “one of the greatest Secretaries of State in history.”

Here’s the thing, since day one, Trump hasn’t run as a Republican, and most certainly hasn’t run as a Conservative. Trump has run as the caricature that democrats have been trying to portray Republicans as. Trump has shown himself to be racist, sexist [big time] irrational, and irresponsible. Of course, Trump has also flip-flopped on any number of serious issues, often not only in the same day, but the same interview or speech! If one didn’t think Trump’s entire candidacy was a goof [which I and many more do] the only other explanation is the man is too mentally unstable to be President!

Trump flip-flopped so many times on Planned Parenthood, and the murder of innocent children at their hands, he managed to piss of BOTH SIDES of the debate, at the same time! Trump still says Planned Parenthood “does good things” and uses the language of a far left wing extremist while doing it! But he also claims he’ll cut off funding, and even suggested jailing those who participate in abortions! Even hard core pro-life advocates were appalled at that last “<i>promise</i>”!

Go back and look at Trump’s campaign, his actions, his events, the fact that he was actively re-tweeting numerous white supremacists, on almost a daily basis … for months, and we have a problem. The “white pride” Jew-hating wing of the Trump movement is quite strong [Or completely made up, as somewhere near 80% of these accounts Trump was re-tweeting appeared to be bogus! That’s another very long discussion we can go into at another time.] Either way, Trump has no problem with this trailer trash.

Frankly, it appears to me, and many more, that Trump’s real goal was to embarrass and discredit the Republican Party by reinforcing all of the stereotypes democrats have been pushing about us for decades, then ripping the GOP apart [Mission Accomplished] all in an effort to help his long time best old gal pal Hillary win in November!

Not sure how anyone would think that?

Well …

Trump and The Clintons

Does this look like a bunch that is about to go to war with one another?

Of course, this is only speculation based on observation and knowing Trump’s longtime history of trashing Republicans, especially Conservatives, while giving democrats, and their vile Anti-American agendas, his full-throated support!

If you want more substantial proof that Trump isn’t serious about beating Hillary, here’s a few tidbits to consider:

After Trashing every single Republican opponent with the kind of vile, nasty hate that only a democrat can do well, including accusing Ted Cruz of extra-marital affairs, via his good buddy who runs the National Enquirer, and accusing Cruz’s father of essentially murdering JFK, Trump has announced he may not run any negative ads against Hillary!

Michael Patrick Tracy’s response wasn’t much different than mine [though I threw in some “I told ya” so’s!

Trump told the Associated Press that instead of building a national ground game, you know, the essential door knockers and get out the vote people that one must have to win, that he will instead rely on free TV coverage and big political rallies! Because God knows that strategy worked well in the primaries! It worked so well, in fact that in states where 100% of the delegates are “bound” to Trump, these delegates are, in fact, Cruz delegates, duly elected, simply because Ted Cruz had one of the best ground games we’ve seen in a long time, while Trump failed to even participate! This includes Colorado!

Trump’s campaign people freely admitted they simply didn’t even bother to compete for votes in Colorado. When Trump lost big time, allowing Cruz to get dangerously close, Trump went on an insane rampage screaming about cancelled elections and stolen votes. Never mind that the people of Colorado voted on March 1st in 2917 separate local caucuses designed to pick delegates to the state convention, delegates, who in turn would chose the candidate to represent Colorado. [Ted Cruz] One man even claimed to have been bared from participating because he supported Trump, even tearing up his card on video tape. Turns out the guy was elected locally but failed to even attempt to follow the required procedures all delegates must, in fact, follow to participate at the state convention. We’ll just charitably call him dumb.

Of course, the raving lunatics that support Trump were digging this Lie-O-Rama and breathless repeated every outrageous lie Trump was telling!

There’s more, of course, and it’s substantial, past his erratic behavior.

Trump has now come out in favor of raising the minimum wage, saying we must have a “living wage” a phrase taken right out of Karl Marx’s Little Red Book, and I’m sure, the democrat party-social justice handbook! He’s trashed his own tax plan, and back-tracked on other issues, with more to come, I’m sure. Of course, Trump supports allowing grown men to use the same bathrooms as your young daughters.

I know this is a long read, but this is a dangerous time in America and you and your fellow delegates are the only thing that stands between America and total disaster. You are the front line soldiers in the battle for America’s future!

You have between now and July to investigate all of this for yourself. You have between now and July to talk with your fellow delegates and consider it all. You even have between now and July to look into the law yourself and verify what I have told you about your right as a Republican delegate to the National Convention to vote your conscience rather than the party line.

You can and should verify, not only the Supreme Court rulings, but the historical fact that only once in the history of the Republican Party have delegates been “bound” to any state vote, and that it was a dirty trick by the establishment to keep a solid Conservative, Ronald Reagan, from being our nominee. Something Reagan would rectify four years later, in 1980!

Ted Cruz is worth of your consideration as the Republican Nominee for President.

Never mind that Cruz polled much better against Hillary in key states than Trump does anywhere. Never mind that with Trump, even deep red states are now in danger of being lost to Hillary. There are other serious considerations at work here.

We’ve mentioned Cruz’s incredible ground game. There is no way in hell anyone will ever be President if they don’t have an incredible ground game. Democrats are useless as elected officials, and human beings, but they have the ground game, the election day get out the vote operations, and so on, down to a science, and work it, nationwide, with the precision of a Swiss watch! Trump isn’t even interested in HAVING a ground game!

But there is more. Cruz has a sold record of Conservatism, and doing what is right. He has a life time record of doing what he says he will. Be it his time as a Director at the Federal Trade Commission, or as the longest serving Solicitor General in Texas history, Cruz has looked after the best interests of the American people, and has vigorously [and successfully] defended Liberty and Freedom, as well as American sovereignty, and the Constitution.

The people of Texas sent Ted Cruz to Washington to do a specific job, and he made a promise to do it. He has kept his word to us. That’s already more than 90% of politicians will ever do!

Ted Cruz is a class act and a serious man. He has successfully argued landmark cases before the United States Supreme Court. Ted Cruz won’t look like a blithering idiot on stage as he debates Hillary Clinton!

In the end, let me leave you with just this: Your duty is to yourself, your God, and your Country. You simply cannot put party over principle … EVER. Now more than at any time in your life, integrity and principles are far more important than party bosses or the wild eyed ramblings of a mob that is running at a fever pitch, fueled by genuine anger at the direction our country is headed, and a Republican Party full of elected officials that promise one thing, then do nothing once elected, or worse, bow down to the democrats and give up the farm! It is your job, as duly elected delegates, to see past the fevered rants and the cult of personality surrounding Trump and make a wiser, more considered choice.

May I go further to suggest, that if you are confused by the fever I speak of, as well as the desperation Trump supporters genuinely feel, no matter how misguided and dangerous their support for Trump is, that you watch the 1961 film “Judgement at Nuremberg.” This Academy Award winning film, which features powerful and compelling performances throughout, deals with the aftermath of a nation whose otherwise good and decent people got caught up in a fever, and chose to support someone, who like Trump, had no regard for the Republic’s constitution, or rule of law. All they saw was someone who could “save them,” much as Trump supporters see him today. And like those Germans, Trump supporters don’t seem to care what Trump does, what laws he might violate, including military law and the Geneva Conventions, what basic human rights, like Free speech, Freedom of the Press, or even Religious Liberty [the cornerstone of America] that Trump has intimated he would trample, so long as he wins and America is “saved“!

This of course, is all not only ludicrous, but dangerous. More dangerous than any person or thing America has ever faced. And that, my fellow Americans, is the real heart of the matter. Not only is Trump unfit to be the Republican nominee for President, let alone President, he and the fevered mob he has created are a real and clear danger to the very fabric of our country. Trump may be playing us all for fools, and looking to help his buddy Hillary win [something I and many more truly believe] but the fevered mob he has created is real, and it it your job, your duty, in fact, to cool them down by sending them, and their candidate into a “time out,” while the rest of the nation gets on with nominating and then electing a new REPUBLICAN President!

No pressure, but don’t screw this up!

Sincerely and Kindest Regards,

Gary Signature

Gary P Jackson

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Cruz Totally Dominates Hot Air Poll With 35% Trump at 19% as Sarah Palin Grabs 11%

Cruz Palin

By Gary P Jackson

In the latest Hot Air poll of Conservatives, Senator Ted Cruz totally dominates the field. He’s the number one choice for President, and also leads in the “second choice” category, as well as the “consensus vote,” with totals of 35.40%, 22.20%, and 78.30% respectively:

Hot Air CNN Pre Debate Poll Results

While Hot Air’s rather exclusive, hard to join, members only, comment section has it’s share of loud Trump supporters, most readers aren’t as enthusiastic. On the other hand, most see Carly Fiorina as someone they could get behind, if Cruz fails to secure the bid. Trump, however was 5th on the second choice bid, and 8th on the reader’s consensus portion. Sarah Palin, who isn’t even an option among the 1st or 2nd choices, comes in at number 9 in consensus votes!

Speaking of Governor Palin, after almost a year of listing every single Republican that is still breathing, as an option … EXCEPT Palin … Hot Air finally asks readers:

If Sarah Palin was running, would you replace your first choice candidate and vote for Palin instead?

11% of Hot Air Readers said, yes they would. Not too shabby for someone who has shown zero interest in running!

Hot Air breaks down the count further and notes Cruz and Trump are, by far, the main benefactors of Governor Palin not being in the race.

palin instead of trump or cruz

I suspect any poll that asked a similar Palin question, would yield similar results and show that Cruz and Trump are the ones getting most of Palin’s supporters.

During the 2011 and early 2012 election season Governor Palin totally dominated Hot Air’s polling, right up until it became apparent she wasn’t running. Missed opportunity?

For a list of this survey’s polling questions click here.

For more polling results and analysis click here.

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This is America!

By Isabel Matos

I remembered this short but important part of Ted Cruz’s speech last year at the Lincoln Day Dinner in Miami. It was part of a thoroughly enjoyable evening, and appropriate for the occasion on my mind. What is America? And what makes one American? Some people wonder why I call myself Cuban-American. Two reasons. First, I am proud to be from the country where I came from. My maternal country is my roots and what makes me who I am to a great degree. Second, as a citizen who is here legally, I am also proud to distinguish myself from groups who are less overt about expressing where they are from, for whatever reason. I know that my family obtained citizenship not by cheating or extorting politicians, so I’m proud to be part of the type of immigration that makes America great. The hyphenated term is to help Americans understand a little better that not all Hispanics want to change America. We don’t attempt to subvert the laws that make it great, either. That is wrong. On the contrary, this country inspires us to offer all we have in return for the laws that protect its freedoms which we don’t take for granted. What we experienced in our country has shaped us. We are American, but it also doesn’t mean we ignore politics.

If a group of individuals is thankful for this country, and are willing to sacrifice, share and be a part of the what makes it great, then so be it. We are grateful this country gave us refuge from political persecution. I know we never came for the goodies or benefits. In fact, we expected to return within a year and it has become 56 so far. The Cuban Embassy in Washington opened on July 21st and there is still persecution in Cuba. It is not free. I know American’s know that, but with an election ahead I will get out of the way what I want to get out the way so we can discuss other things we can do to keep this country as free as possible.

I don’t see how the extreme polarity and lack of consensus in the Republican party will help us in 2016.  Look, I’m not a candidate kind of a gal. I’m into context. Candidates are like flavors people choose to love one day, hate the next. That is part of the problem. Voters have too many options. I have seen the last four years as an experiment, one which shows the need for government in many ways, and one in which the struggle for freedom, still very much on the minds of Americans, needs to be focused like a razor on. But the grassroots is disorganized despite all the passion. We need an establishment to hate it because it is trying to oppress us, but we need to understand its rightful place as well. The argument we have tried to make is for self-government. But people need order. They need rules. Without them they don’t always govern themselves accordingly.

If I sound pessimistic it’s because people do not take responsibility for their actions. When you abuse the freedom to act responsibly, of course, government will step in and capitalize on it. America has been a free for all. Self-interest is so distracting that it leaves little or no time to watch the foxes in the coop, permitting government to get away with what it does. Let’s face it. People get discouraged when they see the same politicians making the same promises and the same “leaders” making the same demands and not getting anywhere because they lie and we end up more disenfranchised. Of course when we vote we hope politicians will do their jobs so we can lead our own. But they don’t. And haven’t.

Conservatives are about pursuing their dreams and not much about the greater good. Why not? It’s a great question. How about a combination of a little more of number two? I am not convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that people can govern themselves accordingly given no restrictions. So we need to deal with this: We need guidelines. We need to uphold principles, but not in a way that threatens the very people we turn to when the time comes where we need them to protect us. When war comes. Can we live without government? NO. Maybe I am missing something. I just think the type of chaos I am perceiving will lead to harsher, bigger government. I hope I’m wrong. How can we create a consensus, though, when the divided states of America seem like one big border-less mess!

Where’s our general? And where is the call to action I am craving?

People confuse a country with its government or politicians. I will never confuse who is doing what is right, but I understand that it doesn’t matter who it is, it matters what is being done that is right. That is my compass. I’m going to vote for the Republican nominee whoever it is (it will not be our choice most probably – nothing has changed nor will it so why not accept it) and stop this silly mindset that you should take the fight for standing for what is right on the big day at the ballot box. How about accepting the nominee for who he/she is and focus and concentrate on ways to deal with that candidate’s record to continue the problem-solving, the taking stands, instead of the childish and endless whining.

I digressed. Getting back to the little clip. It’s pretty darn cool that a room full of immigrants or children of immigrants are represented by two Americans with their background in the Republican presidential primary. We all came penniless, only with a few items like photos and clothes, but penniless, and  filled with hopes it was just a short visit and soon we’d be back home. It never happened. I don’t speak for anyone but the fact is, it is deeply embedded in our psyche, whether individually or collectively.  I hope it is not misconstrued for support one candidate or the other. That would be missing the point. It is something to be proud of and I admit I am. I wish there were another woman running, but I digress there, too. If she had been a Cuban-American, maybe having experienced the permanent loss of her country, maybe she would have seized the opportunity that our two senators did. Far be it from me to speculate there. I dare not. All I know is many people wanting to be here appreciate the opportunities America offers possibly more than others already living here who take them for granted.

To finish this long “short” introduction, I thought I’d add a definition which I found to be insightful and eloquent, not to mention true, of what America means, by the woman who could be a more integral part of the political process.

george washington

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Carly Fiorina, The Sleeper Candidate Everyone Should Pay Attention To!

Carly Fiorina

By Gary P Jackson

While Donald Trump is ruling the headlines with an iron fist, something very interesting is happening: Carly Fiorina is doing a lot of interviews and making a hell of a lot of sense! She is coming off as a powerful, decisive, no bull, leader.

Many of us, yours truly included, wrote Carly off after her last attempt at elected office. She ran a very poor, almost incoherent campaign, and lost by a huge margin. We should all be forgiven, though, for thinking that was that.

It seems Carly learned from her mistakes and is back with a very well run, tight and cohesive campaign.

Carly has been doing the rounds with the media, both great and small. She has a very strong, coherent message. She’s addressed illegal aliens, and actually has a tougher stance than Trump. She is very much aligned with those of us who want all illegals deported, our laws enforced, and border secured once and for all. Unlike Trump, Carly has given actual details on how she will do this.

She has joined Trump and Senator Ted Cruz in calling for the end of tax payer subsidies to the monsters at Planned Parenthood. She has endorsed a complete and total government shutdown, if that’s what it takes to defeat these animals once and for all! She understands some wars are worth fighting!

We are all enjoying watching Trump run roughshod over the Republican Establishment, and the media, but it would be a grave mistake to ignore Carly. I’ve been paying attention, and I have yet to disagree with a position she has taken. And while Trump comes off as a bull in a china closet [not necessarily a bad thing, given the state of affairs] Carly comes off as reasoned and thoughtful, even though her positions are much the same, or even tougher, than Trumps!

There are far too many interviews, discussions, and positions for me to post here. I urge all of our readers to grab your favorite search engine and take a good, hard, close look at this woman. Also go to her website and follow her on social media. Especially Twitter.

For me, it’s a travesty that someone as bold and daring as Carly isn’t on the main stage Thursday night, when clowns like John Kasich, Mike Huckabee, and Chris Christie are. We understand how Fox determined it’s line-up, but it’s still a joke she isn’t in that mix.

That said …. being part of the earlier debate at 5 pm [Eastern] may be a blessing. She will be on stage with 6 other candidates and will get a little more of a chance to break out and make a showing. The prime time debate will certainly get more viewers, but Fox wins every hour in the ratings game, and you can bet, a large audience will tune in to the early debate.

We haven’t settled on a candidate here. Trump obviously fascinates me. I’m still waiting to see if his conversion from far left liberal to rock ribbed Conservative is for real, or just talk. We’ve been fooled before!

Obviously Ted Cruz is a favorite of ours. Proud he is my Senator, and as a Texan, I benefited from his work as our youngest and longest serving Solicitor General. It should be noted Cruz and Trump have had private meetings. Speculation of a Trump-Cruz ticket is inevitable. It’s certainly possible, should Trump crash and burn, that Cruz would inherit his supporters.

We like Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal a LOT. This guy is a serious policy wonk! He has a lot of experience, and as Governor, he’s turned Louisiana around, big time. If he has a problem, it’s that he lacks that “it” factor. That little something that sparks the imagination of the voters. Jindal is, however, incredibly competent, and is very much simpatico with Conservatives on all of the issues that matter to us.

The truth is, once you weed out the treasonous amnesty shills, and big government liberals, the GOP has one of the best fields of candidates in a long, long time. It’s not going to be easy to choose, once we weed out the flakes.

Still, as much as I love Cruz and admire Jindal, there is something about Carly Fiorina: Her poise, her confidence, her willingness to fight for what is right, that has captured my imagination. We all know that candidates, who lead polls this far out from election day, are rarely around come serious election season, especially when there is a large field of candidates. Trump may be the exception, and IF he doesn’t start acting stupid, he could very well be the Republican nominee for President! BUT, I really feel Carly is the wild card, that sleeper candidate who is flying under most people’s radar, who could end up on top.

I know people are already choosing sides, picking their candidates, but this is one time it might make sense to keep an open mind and really look at other candidates before choosing. It makes sense to give Carly a second look, for sure. She obviously learned a thing or two from her last experience as a candidate, and has matured into a viable, electable option.

I’m looking forward to the big debate in prime time, it will be highly entertaining, but I think the 5 o’clock debate and Carly Fiorina will surprise some people and be most informative!

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New SarahPAC Mailer Strongly Suggests Sarah Palin Will Mount A 2016 Presidential Bid

Sarah Palin at Reagan Ranch on Horseback

Governor Palin, horseback, at the Reagan Ranch in California

By Gary P Jackson

Many long time supporters of Governor Sarah Palin, those of us who have followed her career since early 2007, a year and a half before she was to be chosen as the Republican nominee for Vice President and became an international figure, have been wondering why the Governor has been silent now that several Republicans, including her good friend Ted Cruz, have announced they are officially in for 2016. Maybe, just maybe we have our answer.

Other than jabs at Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney in her Iowa speech, which prompted Rick Moran at PJ Media to say this ….

Palin sounds like a candidate to me. And she’s teeing off on Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney, implying that their establishmentarianism is no better than the status quo — a potent theme that will resonate with the conservative base.
She also implies that Bush/Romney aren’t strong enough to get in the trenches with Hillary and the Clinton machine to duke it out. She certainly describes herself when she says she thinks the GOP candidate should be “considered a bit avante garde.” In fact, the way she describes the ideal candidate is like she’s looking in a mirror…

Palin may have other reasons for running, including denying Romney and Bush a cakewalk to the nomination. Her favorability ratings may be a liability, but her name recognition is far better than any other conservative candidate. Her entrance in the race would be a wild card that could peel off support from both establishment and conservative candidates alike.

I have one pick with Moran’s comments though. The last major poll that included Sarah Palin left her off as a potential candidate, but measured her favorables and unfavorables against a huge field of potential candidates. The 2014 poll had Palin’s favorability at 70%, among Republicans and Republican leaning independents. That’s UP from 67% in 2012 and considerably higher than anyone the pollster, Public Policy Polling, offered up as an actual candidate. Also, people shouldn’t dismiss lightly the fact that Governor Palin has been considered one of the Most Admired Women in the Word in Gallup’s annual survey since 2008, never being ranked lower than third on the list! Palin’s supposed unfavorability is more fantasy than fact!

Governor Palin has focused all of her energy, when it comes to 2016, on Hillary Clinton. She has hammered Hillary for not being able to multi-task, and use one phone for official government business, and one for personal use, going so far as to post a photo of herself, as Governor, holding her newborn son juxtaposed against Hillary’s claimed inability to figure it all out:

Sarah Palin Multi-tasking w Cellphones

In yet another scandal, Hillary was exposed as using her device for both personal and official State Department communications. A big no-no!

Earlier Governor Palin reminded Americans that while Hillary has erased her entire email history at the State Department, after using an illegal computer [something that would have anyone else already serving time in prison] Palin’s own e-mails were put under a microscope with the left wing Washington Post actually asking it’s readers to help scour through some 25,000 emails looking for the “juicy partsWaPo and it’s readers had hoped to find all kinds of incriminating evidence of SOMETHING, but instead found page after page of e-mails proving that not only was Governor Palin incredibly competent, but proved to be one of the hardest working public servants in the country. Something those of us who have followed Governor Plain for the better part of a decade already knew!

Sarah Palin email Truth

The Palin e-mails also put an end to the lie that she supported and took money for a “bridge to nowhere” when they revealed she wanted to give the money back, and earmark it for replacement of the I-35 Bridge that collapsed in Minnesota, killing and injuring many. Of course, as there was no legal way to do that, the money went to Alaska’s general fund. We have a link to many of Governor Palin’s official e-mails, as well as her outstanding record of accomplishments a Governor, here.

Several days ago Governor Palin posted this on Facebook:

America – ready for Hillary? Some of us are. Join us and begin here…

WATCH the Game-Changing New Video That Drops A Bomb On Hillary And Can Finish Her

A truth bomb of epic proportions …

She included a link to Western Journalism and the article America Rising Releases New Hillary Video: ‘Trustworthy?’

Governor Palin has consistently said she is “Ready for Hillary” and not in the way the former Secretary of State and world class criminal thinks!

Which brings us to a new mailer from SarahPAC that is making the rounds on Twitter. The letter is titled “I’m ready for Hillary. Are you? A second header proclaims “The First Shot: Clinton vs Palin” Along with the letter, is a copy of the front page of the Boston Herald, dated January 25, 2015 that screams MAKE WAY FOR SARAH and proclaims: GOP Strategists: A Palin ’16 bid is no joke

These mailers are sent to folks who support SarahPAC.

Here are a couple of the tweets, one showing the letter and the newspaper tear sheet, and one with just the newspaper:

The Boston Herald article is now hidden behind a pay-wall, but our friends at Conservatives4Palin archived it. Here’s the important part:

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s announcement that she’s “seriously interested” in running for president in 2016 could shake up the GOP field, say strategists, who point to the former vice presidential hopeful’s strong base, fundraising ability and star power.

You’ve got to take her seriously because she can raise a lot of money, she has a big following and she has been through a national campaign, which is important to be competitive in a presidential primary,” Republican strategist Chris Brown told the Herald. “I think she really changes the field and she has the potential to hurt a lot of candidates — especially Tea Party conservatives.”

[…]

Former Alabama GOP Chairman Marty Connors said Palin “has built a career around being underestimated.
I would immediately put her in as a top- or mid-tier candidate if she decides to run,” Connors said.
[S]he has a built-in constituency and so she wouldn’t have to raise the money that some of the other candidates would and I think she’d be an exciting candidate that a lot of people would rally around.

As to raising money, I think Haley Barbour got it right when he said of Governor Palin a few years back: “She could raise enough money to burn a wet mule!” In case you don’t speak Mississippian, that means she can raise a hell of a lot of money! But I also agree with Connors, in that she is a known quantity and has not only a huge following, but the ability to attract the news media, who will follow her every move, like the second coming of Elvis!

Governor Palin’s media partner PassCodeCreative recently created a new video for SarahPAC Catch Me If You Can which reminds us about the big stir he bus trip caused a few years back!

Governor Palin and her family drove the media nuts, because she never gave them an itinerary, saying …. rightly so, her trip was about getting out and seeing America and talking to regular Americans, rather than a publicity stunt, like Hillary’s recent Scooby Do bus tour that was a complete and total flop! Governor Palin used this video to make fun of Hillary’s failed tour! And to poke the media again!

In the C4P article we mention above, Steve Flesher links to another Boston Herald article written around the same time by Adriana Cohen that explains the GOP needs a strong Conservative woman, if they intend to defeat Hillary Clinton [or Liz Warren, for that matter]

The GOP needs women on the ticket for many reasons, not least because it steals the Democratic Party’s thunder. They want to be the “first” at breaking cultural barriers and glass ceilings. With Hillary Clinton expected to be their front-runner in 2016, they’ll use her gender as a tactic to gin up support from their base — especially female voters.
I can already see Emily’s List pushing out emails nationwide saying, “Let’s make history by electing the first female president of the United States.”

Cohen goes on to say this about Hillary [and how Sarah is better]: [emphasis mine]

If you’re a female leader on the Democratic ticket, you’re a “hero” regardless of how many times you put your foot in your mouth, embarrass yourself or worse.

We haven’t forgotten Hillary Clinton saying that we should empathize with our enemies or that businesses and corporations don’t really create jobs. Both absurd statements that should disqualify any candidate — male or female — from any race, never mind the top slot.

But if you’re a female conservative? Watch out! Liberals will pounce and do everything they can to marginalize a conservative woman who runs for office no matter how educated, or talented, or accomplished she is. Liberals only “tolerate” others if they agree with them and follow their agenda.

[…]

The reality is Sarah Palin draws huge crowds at speaking engagements, has millions of social media followers and just as many supporters across the nation.

Hillary Clinton has been giving speeches to half-filled rooms.

Look, we have absolutely no idea what Governor Palin is going to do, but after she considered a 2012 run, for a long, long time, and then didn’t, causing a lot of disappointment among supporters, it’s hard to fathom she would do that again, especially as aggressive as this latest mailer is.

One of our longtime readers, Joy, made an interesting point a few days ago. If you remember, on September 3, 2011 Governor Palin made a powerful speech, to a massive crowd in Indianola, Iowa, which our Stacy Drake recorded.

While Governor Palin spoke of Liberty and Freedom, the main focus was crony capitalism.

Governor Palin has been going after in corruption in government for over 20 years, ever since her earliest days as the junior member of the Wasilla city council! She famously took down the entire Republican Party machine, in Alaska, which rivaled Chicago, and it’s thug politics, in it’s depths of corruption!

Just a few months after Governor Palin’s well received speech, Peter Schweizer’s brand new book: Throw Them All Out: How Politicians and Their Friends Get Rich Off Insider Stock Tips, Land Deals, and Cronyism That Would Send the Rest of Us to Prison was released.

The book caused a massive stir, as well as top billing on 60 Minutes. Congress passed a law [though later it was quietly neutered] banning lawmakers from insider trading. Both former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi [D-California] and current Speaker John Boehner [R-Ohio] have made tens of millions of dollars using secret insider information.

Joy noted that Peter’s new book: Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped Make Bill and Hillary Rich which has caused the Clinton’s to loose their minds and their friends in the media a lot of sleepless nights trying to figure out how to protect Hill and Bill, just happens to be coming out at a time Governor Palin has been relentlessly hammering Hillary!

Peter’s new book, which is set for release May 5, 2015 is already a Number One Best Seller at Amazon!

I’m not sure Joy is off base here at all.

Most people know this, but Peter Schweizer served as Governor Palin’s foreign policy adviser after she left office and created SarahPAC. Peter literally wrote the books [plural] on President Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy, which Governor Palin had adopted as the basis for her own, adding new lessons learned.

What is interesting to me, is after serving under Palin, Peter has written exclusively about corruption in government. Clinton Cash will be his third Best Seller in a row on the subject.

Again, we have no idea what Governor Palin is up, but we have it from sources close to the family that her decision not to run in 2012 came down to strong opposition from her mother and her oldest son, Track.

That said, Governor Palin posted this on Facebook January 22, three days before the Boston Herald article was published:

Ha! Believe it or not I received this from… my mom!“:

Sarah Palin Hitchhiking

Take from that what you will!

Is it too early to say Palin-Cruz 2016?!? [or Palin-Jindal]

What exactly is “That woman” thinking about?

Sarah Palin in Western Wear Reflective Pose

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Is “America’s News Anchor” Rooting for A First Hispanic Republican President?

ramos cruz rubio

By Isabel Matos

No thanks, Jorge!!

We already have La Raza praising 11 House Republicans for their efforts, and Rep. Gutierrez making appearances with them. Although his comments reflect reality accurately, the title of this article should be: Ramos Resents Republican Presidential Hopefuls Rubio, Cruz who happen to be from Cuban Descent.

Breitbart reported: Speaking at Harvard’s Institute of Politics on Tuesday evening, Ramos said that “for the first time in history, there are two Hispanic candidates running for president.” “Regardless of the criticism Republicans receive from the mainstream press, “Republicans have been doing something right that they have two Hispanic candidates. And the Democrats don’t have a single Hispanic candidate for this election”.

He mentioned that if Cruz or Rubio is on the top of the 2016 ticket, it will be very interesting to see if Hispanic Democrats vote for a Latino candidate. Ramos noted that “the majority of Latinos vote for Democrats” and the “majority of Latinos are of Mexican origin” while Rubio and Cruz are both of Cuban descent. He said Latino voters will be faced with the question about whether they should vote for a Latino candidate just because he is Hispanic.

ramos harvard oh joy

Ramos is correct: the mainstream press is against Republicans; that includes, of course, his own. Let’s get out of the way the difference between the terms Hispanic and Latino for clarity’s sake, since they are used interchangeably often. Hispanics are from Spain or any of the Spanish speaking countries in Latin America. “Latino” is used as an abbreviated form of “Latino-Americano” (Latin-American), or someone coming from Latin America. Some statistics, too:

53 millionHispanics are the second fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States after Asian Americans. Since 1970, the Latino [should be Hispanic not Latino to avoid confusion] population has increased sixfold, from 9.6 million to 53 million as of 1/1/2012. Its is projected that its share of the U.S. population currently at 17% is expected to reach 29% or to 119 million by 2060, according to the latest projections from the U.S. Census Bureau (2014). This figure includes 38 million Hispanophone Americans, making the US home to the largest community of Spanish speakers outside of Mexico, surpassing Argentina, Colombia, and Spain within the last decade.

Now we get to the point (al punto) of this article: shifting the focus away from what we know about Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, to what we should know -if we didn’t already- about Ramos and Univision, since he brought all of this up:

1.  Jorge Ramos is the evening news anchor of Noticiero Univision. He was born in Mexico City 57 years ago. He first came to the United States on a one-year certificate program at UCLA Extension and has enjoyed a long career with Univision where he got a job with a work permit in an L.A. affiliate 30 years ago.

“My English was—I couldn’t even understand myself.”

Ramos hosts “Al Punto” a successful political Sunday talk show on Univision. He is part of digital magazine “Fusion” which targets a younger more liberal audience, covering topics he admits could never be aired on Univision. Ramos is very good at what he does; but his influence does not speak for all Hispanics.

Al_Punto_Hero_750x39011

“I went on Jon Stewart the other day and I told him,

‘I’m an immigrant; I need a lot of jobs!

CITIZENSHIP

Ramos constantly refers to himself as an immigrant. Maybe he does it for symbolic reasons. I was curious, so I did a little research and found this:

Al Punto“debuted on Univision on September 9, 2007, the same day as the first Spanish language U.S. Presidential Debate hosted by Univision.

From the transcript: UNIVISION NETWORK DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE PARTICIPANTS: SENATOR HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY); SENATOR CHRISTOPHER DODD (D-CT); FORMER SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS (DSC); FORMER SENATOR MIKE GRAVEL (D-AK); REPRESENTATIVE DENNIS KUCINICH (D-OH); SENATOR BARACK OBAMA (D-IL); AND GOVERNOR BILL RICHARDSON (D-NM)
MODERATORS: JORGE RAMOS AND MARIA ELENA SALINAS, UNIVISION NETWORK ANCHORS LOCATION: UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI, MIAMI, FLORIDA TIME: 7:04 PM EDT DATE: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 2007

Three months later on December 9th, 2007, Univision hosted another forum where anchors, Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas, moderated the first U.S. Republican presidential debate in Spanish. Destino 2008 was held againg at the University of Miami, in Coral Gables, Florida. In February of 2008, Jorge Ramos asked questions to U.S. presidential candidates at the CNN Democratic debate at the University of Texas at Austin, in Austin, Texas:

CNN, Univision and the Texas Democratic Party jointly hosted a debate between Obama and Clinton on February 21 at 7:00 CST on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin. The debate was rebroadcast at 10:30 in Spanish. Questions focused heavily on illegal immigration and the economy, among other issues.

But Ramos revealed t.h.i.s. in an Interview on CSPAN on July 11 2010:

Excerpt: Brian Lamb: Why did you become an American citizen and what year did you do it?

Jorge Ramos: I did it in 2008. For me it was very important to participate fully in this country. It’s truly a wonderful country and my fight is that this country would treat other immigrants like me the same way they treated the millions of immigrants who came after me. It’s truly amazing, who could have thought that when John F. Kennedy was writing his book “A Nation of Immigrants,” it was 1958, I was born exactly that year and with those wonderful ideas and of course he was killed in ’63, but in ’65 with the immigration act of 1965 everything changed and because of that, because John F. Kennedy and because of “A Nation of Immigrants” I’m in this country, so I wanted to participate fully. I was very concerned about the war, I was concerned about my kids. Paola who’s 23 right now and Nicolas who’s 12, they were born here in this country and I wanted to – I wanted to be fully part of the United States. This has been a wonderful, generous, and magnificent country for me and I wanted to be part of it. 

It is not clear whether he became a citizen before or after he was allowed to ask questions of the U.S. presidential candidates at the CNN debate in February, 2008, as the views expressed above differ from his views in 2004 where he mentions he is not a U.S. citizen, despite his long years here, “in case I want to return to Mexico to run for office.” [ The interview on CSPAN is long but worth a listen)

That means he was not a citizen in 2007 which raises a lot of questions. Is he sincere or just a hypocrite? It sure seems arrogant to point the finger at U.S. citizens who want their laws enforced, when he may have become a citizen for expediency. [And he has chutzpah to moderate debates if he’s not one!]

jorge-ramos

RECOGNITION AND AWARDS

Ramos has received the Maria Moors Cabot award from the University of Columbia, he won 8 Emmy awards for excellence in journalism (including the first ever presented by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences to honor leaders of Spanish Language Television). In 2002 he was honored with the ‘Ruben Salazar’ award by the National Council of La Raza for his positive portrayal of Latinos. In 2008 The Commonwealth Club of California recognized him with the Distinguished Citizen Award for being one of the outstanding individuals who embody the American Dream as an immigrant to the United States. Biography

He has said he can do what ever he damn well pleases (“lo que se me pegue la gana”) on his network, Univision. He’s like a pied piper for La Raza, and lord of a land within the land of plenty (ours) whose authority he defies and wants toppled. For that he is rewarded worldwide. Surprise. When questioning others he is sarcastic about the intentions of the undocumented’s: Do you (really) think we want to make the United States an extension of Mexico or claim it as part of our territory? That is Senor Ramos: America’s News Anchor. He’s not just a journalist. He takes his activism seriously. What’s not love if you’re a racist lib?

Jorge-Ramos-Rio-Grandejpg

Christiane Amanpour is mesmerized he swam in the Rio Grande.

[That picture reminds me of Putin’s pictures on a horse.] In her commentary for TIME where he made the cover of 2015’s 100 Most Influential People, she writes:

Ramos wrangles with President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner; he swims the Rio Grande; he says he asks every question as if it’s his last, determined to get an answer or go down trying. What happened to immigration reform? He knows he has a voice and is not afraid to use it. He shouts from every rooftop that Hispanic rights are human rights.

After decades on the cutting edge of the news agenda, Jorge Ramos, who grew up in Mexico, is waging the campaign of a lifetime, which is also a defining issue for America, the country he calls home.

If you haven’t gotten sick yet (I am), there’s more. Yes Ramos is cocky and full of himself, but I would be dishonest intellectually to deny or not admire the passion he has for what he does. In his speech to an audience of leaders he calls rebels [I actually like that term], he toasts the Dreamers, which he calls his real heroes.

“Because Congress has done nothing for a decade, I salute them for taking matters into their own hands and changing American immigration policy.”

The most influential leader of 2015 warns: You do not want to be their enemy, because they will get in your face. They are really American citizens, but don’t have a paper to prove it. He makes a reminder and gives a stern word of caution to politicians and presidential candidates who are thinking of deporting anyone: 

“Latinos will decide the next election and not vote for any candidate who wants to deport their father, their mother, your friends or your neighbors.” 

When I say I like the word rebel, I mean it in a good way (for our cause). And when I say I “admire” his passion, I am really expressing it in the same spirit he pointed out that the Republican Party is doing something right because two Hispanics are running for president. What I really wish is for his ego and immigration views to blast him into oblivion. Maybe in the end he will be seen for what he is: an elitist out for his career like the rest of them! Ramos says he hopes to grow his clout beyond the Latino community with “Fusion“:

“What I really like is that for the first time, I don’t need translation,” he says. “And without translation, there’s an immediate impact. And definitely the language of power is English.” [How romantic sarc>].

It is ironic given that Ramos does not believe that English should be the official language of this country. And also interesting to point out that in an article from a week ago, Fusion heralded Lindsey Graham as “the one GOP candidate who’s actually defending immigration reform”. Now on to Ramos’s show and network..

univision_logo-300x272

VIEWERSHIP AND RATINGS

2.  Univision is the largest network aimed at Hispanics in the U.S. It has one of the largest audience of Spanish-language television viewers in the world, according to Nielsen Media Research. NBC’s Telemundo is second. Both have studios, operate and produce in Miami but headquarters are in New York. In recent years, the network has reached viewership parity with the U.S.’s five major English language television networks; it often places a strong fifth, outranking The CW, with some fourth-place weekly placings; as of 2012, even first place rankings for individual programs over all five English networks, attributed to telenovelas. Who knew? So I did a little search on Sunday talk shows and found that although ratings vary weekly ‘Al Punto’ came in 4th or 5th overall and was mentioned even when its ratings were unavailable. I also looked for ratings comparing all five networks for evening news (cable/non cable, English/Spanish) but only found each one promoting its best week or month.

Noticiero Univision evening news reported in February 2012 its rank as:

No. 1 broadcast evening news program with twice as many viewers as the combined audience of “ABC World News Tonight,” “CBS Evening News” and “NBC Nightly News” among Adults 18-34 (195,000 vs. 86,000), Adults 18-49 (433,000 vs. 202,000) and Adults 25-54 (416,000 vs. 246,000). SOURCE Among Bilingual Hispanic Viewers: “Noticiero Univision” delivered 55% more Viewers 2+ than the combined audience of ABC, CBS and NBC’s evening newscasts (930,000 vs. 601,000). Source: The Nielsen Company.

eve news evenews JR_MES_NewSet_Desk_sm

Fox News (Univision’s competitor -my assumption not theirs- based on ratings I used) ranked as follows early in 2012:

In Primetime for January 2012, FNC averaged 1,942,000 viewers, an increase of 78% since January 2002 when the network averaged 1,091,000. In fact, the Primetime ratings FNC achieved in 2002 after becoming number one eclipse what CNN and MSNBC are currently averaging today in 2012 (841,000 and 801,000 viewers respectively).  Additionally, FNC’s current 2012-to-date Primetime average beat CNN and MSNBC combined. Fox News’s median age is 65+ but no figures reflect that age group. Viewers 25-54 have fallen but overall prime time audience went up to 2.02 in 2012 from 1.89 million in 2009. The O’Reilly Factor was the top show for Fox (and cable news as a whole), averaging 2.361M total viewers and 365K in the demo at 8 p.m. The Kelly File, which has been beating Bill O’Reilly’s show in the 9 p.m. slot on occasion, came in second overall, averaging 1.998M total viewers and 332K total. Read more here or here.

sunday-shows_304

SUNDAY TALK SHOWS

In February 2012, Univision, its Sunday morning public affairs program:

Al Punto” delivered two times more Adults 18-49 (186,000 vs. 91,000) than the combined audience of the English-language broadcast programs (ABC’s “This Week,” CBS’“Face The Nation,” NBC “Meet The Press” and “FOX News Sunday.”)

Rick Kissell Senior Editor of “Fox News Sunday” reported its telecast on July 28, 2014 in the DC market:

averaged 107,000 viewers on WTTG-5 — the second largest audience ever in the nation’s capital, behind only the 132,000 when Chris Wallace interviewed Sarah Palin in 2010 (Interview parts 1, 23 below)

first sunday appearance

“Fox News Sundays” finished well ahead of NBC’s “Meet the Press” on WRC-4 (73,000), ABC’s “This Week” on WJLA-7 (65,000), CBS’ “Face the Nation” on WUSA-9 (59,000) and Univision’s “Al Punto” on WFDC-14 (57,000). It also led in households (64,000 to 53,000 for “Meet the Press”). In key news demo of adults 25-54, it led in D.C. with 41,000, followed by “This Week” (36,000), “Meet the Press” (33,000), “Al Punto” (32,000) and “Face the Nation” (29,000).

Nick Massella reported NBC’s Ratings in the DC Market  in October , 2014 as follows:

“Meet” secured 65,000 total viewers followed by “FOX News Sunday” with 40,000 in the DC market. In terms of households, NBC also led with 55,000 followed by FOX with 34,000. In the A25-54 demo, FOX took first with 12,000 viewers followed by NBC with 9,000, CBS’s “Face the Nation” with 4,000, and ABC’s “This Week” considered a scratch. * FishbowlDC did not have access to ratings for Univision’s “Al Punto.”

Bob Schieffer’s “Face the Nation”‘s report included “Al Punto” in their 2014 article: “Meet the Press Struggles in the Ratings …” :

“Face the Nation,” hosted by Bob Schieffer, the grandfatherly 77-year-old newsman, not only attracts the largest overall audience (a weekly average of 3.35 million during the first three months of 2014, 5 percent more than “This Week,” 8 percent more than “MTP” and 61 percent more than “Fox News Sunday”) but the largest audience among the coveted 25-to-54 set, too.

Collectively, about 9.6 million people watched the three networks each week during the first three months of this year, about the same number that watched Russert in 2005. This doesn’t count the audience for innumerable Sunday-morning competitors, from Fox News Sunday (hosted by former “Meet the Press” moderator Chris Wallace) to “Al Punto” on Univision.  (2015 cable news ratings here) 

laura big

EXACTLY.

Many politicians come to kiss Ramos’s hand (I had to steal that) on “Al Punto”. It is embarrassing to witness, which is why I translated this visit where Rep. Diaz-Balart is justifying our party’s actions to Ramos, revealing John Boehner’s intentions on amnesty. It is cordial but contentious as always (it gets old but he is tireless). He grills the Republican, slaps him around, throws in a racist accusation or two and dangles the 11 million-potential-voter-carrot they can’t ignore. Gutierrez, of course, does not get the same treatment. The clip is a gem, proving the GOPe does not want to answer to us. If Republicans want to really prove how compassionate they are, they would take a hard look at and explain how they can justify amnesty when our families and children will be hurt by it. Ramos said this about the next election and Republicans:

1) It is now accepted fact that Hispanic voters were integral to delivering Barack Obama’s presidency, and the road to D.C. has been permanently rerouted.

2) An immigration bill—which Ramos called “a prerequisite” for Latinos to even consider voting Republican—passed the Democratic Senate, but there is close to no hope in the Republican-­controlled House, at least at present. “They don’t get it,” he says. Ramos’s theory is that the Republican nominee in 2016 will simply say of the do-nothing Congress, “They were wrong,” and then offer an immigration proposal of his own. May 5, 2014 New York Magazine.

What do we call it.. a threat? blackmail? ultimatum? shakedown or all of the above? There are so many appearances to choose from, but in every interview, Ramos must come across as the one who cares more than our side which is less passionate and caring about the plight of illegals. If you disagree with any of the points he makes, you have to defend not being anti-immigrant or anti-Hispanic. Marco Rubio’s views are far from being anti-immigrant. (We hate them!) He has made it clear that immigration reform is inevitable, that he is against deportations and will not disrupt DACA (only legislation that is okay before securing the border according to Conant his adviser) but that’s not enough for the true extremists. Cruz is for a bipartisan solution to Immigration reform, which leaves me feeling a little queasy. Does he mean DC-type bipartisanship or a unanimous decision and consensus where D’s and R’s are representing the American people. In any case it is all futile effort because Ramos doesn’t care about them, the law or the fact that the GOPe is shortchanging us on immigration. He does extract their true colors, though, in the process.

Dear Jorge (hor-hey),

Rubio is for Amnesty, DACA and Dreamers!

We hate that as much as you resent it. Why don’t you support  him?

Bilingual and legal

Ingraham knows why they flock to Ramos: to try to make inroads into the Hispanic vote, but asks what the difference between him and Graham is. [Why don’t you ask Jorge, Laura?!]

We have two Hispanics running for president because they ran on a strong message which generated grassroots excitement, and which translated into votes. One lied about it, the other a little more trustworthy but it remains to be seen. Satisfaction or dissatisfaction with these presidential hopefuls should have nothing to do with their ethnicity, but character. The truth is, Ramos wishes the hero of this episode in history was a Hispanic Democrat, not a Hispanic Republican, and a Mexican, not a Cuban-American. At the end of this clip he pleads with Bill Richardson to run in 2016. Below is an example of this bias. It is short, in Spanish with English subtitles:

GOTCHA!

Ramos reminds Rubio above that millions of “Hispanics” want change (referring to millions of Mexican illegals, of course). Like all advocates for amnesty, (see Linda Vega) ‘undocumented’ is key. Rubio’s reply reflects what many in the community I live in believe: that immigration is a touchy, sensitive matter, a humanitarian, not political issue. (The same is probably true in other states where you don’t want to offend people you already know.) No matter what he says, though, he will be the bad guy. Univision will never cover Benghazi, Obama’s scandals or news that is not relevant to “Hispanics” (one particular sector..) Its bias (subtle or not) affects millions of bilinguals (55% prefer Noticiero Unvision to our new show), and what happens at home here and with neighbors is microcosmic of what happened before fair and balanced came around, or social media now. There are no competitors to challenge or enlighten viewers on other points of view. Certainly politicians can’t do so in just one sitting.

Rubio’s answer was cut off in the sub-titled clip, so I’m providing what was said in the full interview in Spanish to illustrate Ramos’s disdain for Rubio:

  • 1 Family is not off the table. When Rubio was 16 his brother-in-law was sentenced to 25 years for drug trafficking (He was released in 2000 for good behavior). Rubio explains in his book American Son that it was a very difficult time for the family and scolds Ramos and Univision for making it the story front and center on the news when it had nothing to with him. It was just to smear Rubio. Ramos (playing dumb) insisted if he was going to run as VP in 2012 this information should be known. Rubio says they could have called him, not his sister, and that it was public record anyway; he called it a black eye for the network, but Ramos doesn’t stop there. He asks Rubio if he got money from his brother-in-law or was influenced in any way by him during his campaign. In no way, Rubio replied.
  • 2 Ramos objects to ENGLISH as the official language of this country. If you speak it at home, he says, why should it be official? He says millions of voters could be affected by the police stopping or discriminating against anyone with an accent in Spanish. There are other negative consequences, he says, like being fired from jobs for speaking Spanish. It is discriminatory. Rubio: No one gets stopped for having an accent. In Florida English is the official language. It doesn’t stop you from speaking Spanish at home.
  • 3 You’re Anti-Immigrant for not agreeing with me 100%. Ramos points to books on Rubio’s bookcase: He says Bush, Reagan, even McCain, a presidential candidate, were all for the legalization of illegals. Why aren’t you like them? Rubio: I am my own person and I base my views on what is happening in the country today. Ramos: People approach me saying he [Rubio] “does not defend us”. He says they want to see Rubio come out and defend them, the undocumented. Rubio: That’s not true. I defend.. Ramos: You could be president one day and change that. Rubio: Unfortunately, a lot of people make promises knowing they cannot keep. I say what I see can be done. Ramos: President Obama’s campaign manager told Univision it would be an insult to the Hispanic immigrant community if you [Republicans] had won the election in 2012 because your position is anti-Hispanic. Mitt Romney, for example, was for self-deportation. Rubio: Self-deportation means they made a decision to go back as a consequence of things getting difficult in Obama’s economy. I don’t know of anyone having positions that are ant-immigrant or anti-Hispanic. RAMOS: The perception is, you could be. RUBIO: Many on the left would say that. RAMOS: You could be powerful as the first Hispanic President of the U.S. or most powerful Hispanic, but your positions are 1) You are for the Arizona Law which persecutes immigrants, 2) you are against the Dream Act, and 3) you want English to be the official language. RUBIO: 1) The Arizona law is not meant for the entire nation but I support it because states have rights which I respect. 2) I do want to help the undocumented kids here and 3) English should be the official language like it is in Florida. 

If you think I’m defending Rubio you’ve missed the point of this entire article.

Rubio has deserved all he got because of 2013. Like millions, I was angry he betrayed good Tea Party conservatives who voted for him thinking he was in their corner. He should have known better than to mess with immigration extremists, too. If there was any lesson to be learned, it is to speak clearly. I will never forget or condone his actions; however, SarahPac has urged us to support Cruz, Paul and Rubio from attacks from the left.  She is right. And Ramos and Univision are part of those attacks.

ted rand and marco

RAMOS CALLS TED CRUZ AND HIS DAD DREAMERS

First, if Ramos had a one-year certificate to be in the United States because of Mexican censorship. His permit to work here must have had an expiration date. I don’t really care at this point if he overstayed a visa or not. Let’s assume he did every legally. It just makes me wonder why someone would be so adamantly AGAINST immigration law enforcement if he wasn’t illegal himself.

As a Cuban-American, I can say Ramos and those who lead “the” march to illegality resent our legality. He can’t help it. Ramos points out to Rubio that his grandfather and to Ted Cruz that his father were just like dreamers, simply asking for documentation. In Rubio’s case, it could not be compared because there was no law that existed that his grandfather was breaking in the first place. And Ted Cruz fends off the attack by explicitly saying his father was legal. Ramos ignores both explanations.

Even though he grilled Obama a while ago for not keeping his promise, Ramos says in this interview with pinhead OReilly: that Obama “evolved” on the legality of immigration action. Puleez. Obama said repeatedly he didn’t have the legal power to pass it, but Ramos and other activists are joyful that it was, and are emboldened by the move. They are trying not to sound ungrateful, but can’t hold back as this is just the start. They want all illegals here from every country amnestied, not just theirs. It will never end. By the way, Ramos says in English at the 3:33 (it’s such a bad habit!) that he is an immigrant.
I am being long-winded about this, but I am passionate about the subject. I recommend the tape below which illustrates what arguments we can use against amnesty. It is not by a politician but an anti-amnesty activist with no strings attached. He reminds me of Heather MacDonald: polite, smart and reasonable.In English:

So why should we care about what Ramos thinks? Most Americans are against it! Because…

Ramos may turn out to be one of the most influential journalists going into the 2016 presidential election.

That is scary. And I’m Hispanic! With much less on his resume he moderated at least three presidential debates. I’m happy to report, though, that “sour grapes” Ramos and his network have pounced on the fact that Univision was excluded from the Republican presidential debates. FYI, Democratic pollster Fernand Amandi said:

The GOP needs Univision more than Univision needs the GOP,”

“For a party looking to be competitive nationally again, they can’t risk alienating the premier outlet that caters to the fastest-growing part of the electorate.”

Univision spokesperson Jose Zamora said,

“There is a very simple political reality—Hispanics will decide the 2016 Presidential election. No one can match Univision’s reach and ability to inform, provide access and empower Hispanic America. Anyone who wants to reach and engage Hispanics will have to do it through Univision..

Univision lead anchor Jorge Ramos said that both parties:

“have to make sure that their debates don’t look like the 2015 Oscar nominations,” referring to the lack of diversity among the Academy’s nominees.

gop debate

THE DEBATES

RNC’s schedule is not much more encouraging as none of the anchors representing the networks are RAMOS in the reverse.

Our news outlets are at fault for not doing their job where amnesty is concerned. Millions complain about it, but none in power have had the will, drive or support to do anything about it consistently. Sarah Palin called for impeachment last year, but it fell on deaf ears across DC.  It would be great if we had a powerful news anchor 24/7 defending America’s sovereignty like our nemesis on Univision does to violate it. What a dream to hear candidates answer to us accepting five non-negotiable’s in this war against amnesty:

  • Yes, English is our official language.
  • A pathway to citizenship really means amnesty.
  • I will not support Obama’s executive actions, DACA or DAPA.
  • Illegals are not ‘undocumented’ and dreamers are not the same as legal immigrants seeking documentation.
  • We will spend time debating deportation for lawbreakers for not just criminals, instead of how to make citizenship happen.
  • Americans have the right to secure their border first, and not be accused of being anti-immigrant or anti-Hispanic because of it.
  • Democrats are better at this, so we have to fight together to beat them on this and appeal to legal citizens and American voters affected by it.

dobbs

Ingraham’s stance on amnesty has been effective in some races. She could be a good anchor, but her negatives would be she is unreliable politically: 1) she said she wasn’t going to get into presidential politics only state and local, but within 24 hours she was commenting on the national race, and 2) she is too quick and eager to back establishment candidates when push comes to shove. Chris McDaniel could be thrown into the mix just to spook the Rinos. Stuart Varney also came to mind (but I’m not sure what his stance on immigration is). We should start thinking about this and demand that the RNC providing moderators who will ask and demand clear answers, putting Priebus, our quasi-conservative media and any GOPe on notice that anyone who is for amnesty but wants to appear as they are not must take a hike!

Sarah Palin electrified millions when she dismissed Washington reporters as elitists in her VP acceptance speech, something we had never heard anyone say in politics. It was just one of the many moments that were part of that electrifying night. Who can forget those 25 seconds (:45 – 1:11)? (Schieffer’s reaction was priceless):

One month later Palin made the point to talk directly to the American without the filter of the media. We loved it. And still do!

Eight years later she is still talking to not at us, like the nation’s CEO, almost daily on her own online channel. Just today she addressed illegal immigration (again):

sarah on immigration

My advice to candidates:

TALK TO US DIRECTLY!

We cannot have a flippant attitude about immigration. It has to be done with a sense of urgency which the above presidential hopeful has. We cannot accept candidates wanting or trying to be the Candy Man to pushy Dreamers and/or innocent children who’ve been brainwashed from day one that it’s okay to break the law. Laws are our contract between government and its people and in their quest for power,

our lawmakers have become lawbreakers in helping push this agenda.

Ramos may be one of the Most Influential Latino Leaders in the world, but he is helping millions break our laws. You will get no apology from me for being for deportations, defending English as our official language, or militarizing the border. He says he never mentions his views on the evening news but Ramos gives his opinion everywhere else. When he asks if Mexicans would vote for a candidate just because they spoke Spanish, it is a legitimate question. If we had a black Republican candidate, would blacks turn out the vote for him? Not necessarily. In that regard Rubio and Cruz are wise not to run as Hispanics but on message, and that is what we vet them on, but I’m still calling Ramos out on his arrogance, racism and b.s. (making such a fuss over ethnicity) and sending this clear note to our own:

Dear Republican candidates,

We are the ones you should worry about. If you pander for illegal votes, you will lose our trust and our vote.

Your Constituents

No matter what intentions you as Republicans may have, or what your plans to reform immigration are, the majority of Latinos and/or Hispanics (camouflage for Mexican) do not and never really will sympathize with Republicans (like Ramos suggests).  So why waste time on the 11 million illegal ‘birds in the bush’, when we have about 40 million legals in the hand willing to sacrifice for and abide by this country’s laws. We should be attracting Hispanics for the right reasons, not background.

The left knows no bounds on personal attacks, respect for laws or life, so it is up to us to continue pushing backing and to build an apparatus that will challenge the invasion (yes, it is an invasion and no, we’re not racists for saying so.) Tenacity and drive are key. We can start by reacting with caution to stories coming from this Spanish media because it is just like our liberal media.  We have to act like Team R (relentless) vs. Team D (derelicts), regardless of party affiliation. For our sovereignty.

It remains to be seen whether Republicans will win in 2016 by courting the illegal vote. It did not help Reagan (or Americans) for him to pass amnesty in the long run. Democrats ended up not securing the border like they had promised in exchange for the 3 million amnestied. That’s what you get when you deal with Democrats.

Is Rubio a racist? No.

Is he godless? No.

Has he always wanted to pass immigration reform? Yes.

Is it a screwed up political agenda? Yes.

Is Jorge Ramos all of the above? Yes.

But immigration reform is no inevitable. We just have to fight relentlessly against it. Ramos is not just a journalist and he is not just a liberal. He represents the sleeping giant that is the future of American politics. That future is NOW.

And the power is OURS to relinquish.

###

100 most edited

Basta! Enough. It is time for our version of who should be America’s Most Influential Leader 2016:

TIMELESS

If none of the above has convinced you that presidential contenders should avoid Univision like the plague,  maybe this will:

The billionaire Univision owner whose company is promoting Hillary Clinton on Spanish-language media platforms is a Clinton friend who said that seeing Clinton in the White House is his “big dream” and that “Hillary is Obama’s natural successor.”

The partnership raises serious questions about the role independent media networks can play in preparing Clinton for a presidential run.

“Too Small to Fail,” a joint initiative of the childhood development research group Next Generation and the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, launched in June 2013 with the stated aim of promoting research about brain development, nutrition, and health for children aged 0 to 5. Now the project, and its spokesperson Hillary Clinton, will get a lot of face time on the largest Spanish language media network in the United States. http://dailycaller.com/2014/02/17/days-after-univision-announces-clinton-partnership-network-owner-says-hillary-presidency-his-dream/

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The Cuban-American Dream IS the American Dream and GOP Corrupted It

before after

Before and After: How our cause for freedom has been corrupted. 

By Isabel Matos 

The Cuban-American Dream is the American dream and it has been corrupted by the GOPe. This clip connects a brief account of my family’s experience in exile and that of many families like us in the United States, with the push for a corrupt and politically motivated agenda: Amnesty. There is an important historical lesson that should alarm anyone who cares about the direction this country is headed because of the Republican party’s corruption. Obama wants to legalize illegals, but the GOPe is collaborating with communist amnesty activists and agitators. [Last summer Ros-Lehtinen and other members of the GOP earned La Raza’s praise for voting against a border bill that would have denied Obama the right to use federal funds to implement temporary amnesty.] I was asked to amplify on the last segment which I hope you enjoy. 

The next segment will be the appearance on Telemundo mentioned in the clip. It needs to be translated, so it will be published shortly. Thank you for viewing and sharing if you like it. A pathway to citizenship is code for amnesty (you know that) and it is a part of the communist plan to turn our system into a Democrat majority, or one-party system, and our GOPe is selling us out.

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DACA’s Fate Less Certain After Tonight

king

By Isabel Matos

The House delayed its August recess to debate the bill.  Please check three previous articles: 1 2 3. Vote results are as follows:

Updated 9:04 p.m. by Emma Dumain

House Republicans found the votes late Friday night to pass a $694 million appropriations bill aimed at stemming the tide of the child migrant surge at the U.S-Mexico border.

It passed largely along party lines, 223-189, freeing Republicans to go home for the August recess able to tell constituents they took action to address the crisis — unlike the Senate, which was unable to pass its own border funding bill Thursday but left town anyway. Only a single Democrat, Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, voted for the package.

Just four Republicans voted no: Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Stephen Fincher of Tennessee, Walter B. Jones of North Carolina and Paul Broun of Georgia….

Republicans had tried to appease their restive caucus with a separate vote to end the Obama administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which grants stays of deportation to young undocumented immigrations brought into the country illegally by their parents.

They at last sealed the deal on Friday by making the DACA bill more stringent while broadening the changes to the 2008 trafficking law. The changes included allowing minors to remain in the custody of immigration enforcement officials as they await deportation proceedings, and on language regarding government investigations into whether the adults taking custody of those minors paid criminal smugglers for their passage.

One of leadership’s harshest critics, Rep. Steve King of Iowa, told CQ Roll Call the new package was “like I ordered if off the menu.” Read more here

(Will update when Ted Cruz has a statement. I still think the GOPe is aiding illegals. Let’s see what he has to say.) Emma’s Update on C-SPAN

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House Vote Underway: What is DACA and Who Is Doing What To Stop It?

 cruz

By Isabel Matos

UPDATE:  8/1/2014 10:30 Ted Cruz:  Very encouraging to see Republicans in the House uniting to‪#‎StopObamasAmnesty‬.

UPDATE 8/1/2014 10:20 p.m.  See Results here

The issue being discussed on the House floor is the DACA Program.  This is the program the Senator Cruz was referring that is allowing for Obama’s amnesty.  The vote on this Border Security Spending Bill has been underway.  For your information:

DACA stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

The president has been granting amnesty via a provision which Senator Cruz says is the root cause of the border crisis.  The number you may still be able to call is 202 224 3121.  Tell your Congressman you are against amnesty and that you do not want DACA program in the spending bill that is being passed. Say you support Senator Cruz’s effort to stop Obama’s amnesty. Boehner’s Border Bill was stopped yesterday thanks to so many who called in to complain that it didn’t go far enough.  The vote tonight will be at 9 pm. I will add updates as needed.

From the Department of Homeland Security

Over the past three years, this Administration has undertaken an unprecedented effort to transform the immigration enforcement system into one that focuses on public safety, border security and the integrity of the immigration system. As the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to focus its enforcement resources on the removal of individuals who pose a danger to national security or a risk to public safety, including individuals convicted of crimes with particular emphasis on violent criminals, felons, and repeat offenders, DHS will exercise prosecutorial discretion as appropriate to ensure that enforcement resources are not expended on low priority cases, such as individuals who came to the United States as children and meet other key guidelines.  Individuals who demonstrate that they meet the guidelines below may request consideration of deferred action for childhood arrivals for a period of two years, subject to renewal, and may be eligible for employment authorization.

You may request consideration of deferred action for childhood arrivals if you:

Were under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012;Came to the United States before reaching your 16th birthday;Have continuously resided in the United States since June 15, 2007, up to the present time;Were physically present in the United States on June 15, 2012, and at the time of making your request for consideration of deferred action with USCIS;Entered without inspection before June 15, 2012, or your lawful immigration status expired as of June 15, 2012;Are currently in school, have graduated or obtained a certificate of completion from high school, have obtained a general education development (GED) certificate, or are an honorably discharged veteran of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States; and have not been convicted of a felony, significant misdemeanor, three or more other misdemeanors, and do not otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety.

Individuals can call USCIS at 1-800-3… you can get the rest at their site.

In the meantime check out the spin being spewed all over this article in the Huffington Post. Predictable.

huffpo

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While Cruz, Sessions Thwart Boehner’s Bill, Warn: Massive Amnesty for 5 Mill, Rinos Advance Democratic Border Bill!

Immigration Presser

By Isabel Matos

This is to recap John Boehner’s loss tonight (July 31st). On the House Border Bill (according to his aide), Boehner’s plan was to:

make it easier to deport Central American minors who have entered the United States illegally, provide $659 million to federal agencies through the end of the fiscal year, and change a 2008 anti-trafficking law. The funding would be significantly less than the $3.7 billion that President Obama has requested from Congress and less than the $1.5 billion initially floated by Boehner and his allies earlier this month — a figure that was cut due to conservative opposition.

In his attempt to win over conservatives,

Boehner shrank the border crisis bill to the point where the appropriations provided were being presented as a stop-gap solution for the remainder of this fiscal year ending Sept. 30—not the rest of calendar 2014.

It did not get far, thank goodness!

cruz

Senator Cruz played a crucial role in preventing Boehner’s border bill form passing. He

praised House Republicans for scrapping a vote on their plan that many in the GOP had hoped would give them cover on a volatile issue. He pinned the blame back on the White House for the logjam. And Cruz defended holding a Wednesday night meeting in his office with about a dozen House conservatives, saying he simply reiterated the same message he’s been saying in recent weeks: That any border package must take aim at a program delaying deportation proceedings for certain undocumented immigrants brought to the country illegally as children.  Read more

Jeff Sessions had joined Ted Cruz in his effort to stop the provision that has allowed the President Obama to grant Amnesty to illegals, which they believe will be as massive as five million if he is not stopped. But it was on Wednesday when Senators Cruz and Sessions met with House Republicans that they exerted enough influence to thwart the dopey bill John Boehner was trying to pass as it granted Obama most of what he wanted, including out-of-control amnesty.

Sessions had ripped the House’s border bill as “surrender” to Obama’s plans to reportedly grant deportation relief and work permits to as many as five million more people in the country illegally. And Cruz rallied Republicans to back his legislation aimed at “stopping President Obama’s amnesty.”

Cruz and Sessions met with:

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) and Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.) were at Cruz’s closed-press session, as well as more than a dozen other House Republicans. Rep. Matt Salmon (R-Ariz.), a member of the House GOP’s working group on the border, is also planning to attend. Cruz wanted House Republicans to defund Obama’s Deferred Action for Child Arrivals (DACA) program, a suggestion Boehner had resisted. Cruz asked House Republicans on Wednesday to tell Boehner to include this in his plan or risk.

Cruz was scapegoated by Peter King who said Cruz was trying to “hijack” the Republican Party (chuckle..). Boehner’s aide had declined comment on Cruz’s actions on Wednesday. What a surprise. The delay today was reason (for us) to celebrate but an embarrassment for Boehner. On the Senate front; however, trouble is brewing. It is not enough to put out this fire, now we still have to worry about the next one:

A total 11 Senate Republicans—including Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)—crossed the aisle to vote to advance Senate Democrats’ border spending bill.

The 11 Republicans who voted with almost all the Democrats are: Rubio and Sens. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Bob Corker (R-TN), John Cornyn (R-TX), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Dean Heller (R-NV), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).

That will require an entirely new article. In the meantime, please do not MISS THIS clip of Ted Cruz on Greta Van Susteren. It is important legislation Senator Cruz wants to pass. His explanations are always very clear, based on facts and reasonable arguments.

Ted blames both parties for failing to secure the border.  They should have done their basic job a long time ago.

What’s happening at the border right now, the direct approximate cause of it is President Obama’s Amnesty triggered in 2012 when the President unilaterally granted Amnesty, or the executive order which …

If you look at the facts: In 2011 there were roughly 6,000 unaccompanied children apprehended trying to come across into this country. Then in June of 2012 the  President signed an order that granted amnesty to some 800,000 people who had entered illegally as kids. What it said is even though you broke our laws and even though you’re not entitled to be here, we’re going to allow you to stay and we are give you a permit to work. It was deliberately and directly targeted at people who had entered as kids. The predicted consequence of that is that it created an enormous incentive for more kids to come in.  If you are granting amnesty to people to come as kids, others kids will come It’s gone now from to 6,000 children in 2011 to an expected 90,000 children this year. and 145,000 next year. They are coming because they believe they are going to get Obama’s Amnesty.

How do you eliminate the promise to amnesty?  Ted Cruz introduced 2-page (short) legislation.  It says The President Obama does not have the authority to grant Amnesty to any new immigrants who come into this country.  One very disturbing thing is just a few months ago President Obama asked his Secretary of Homeland Security to prepare a plan for how President Obama could grant amnesty to 5 or 6 million more people here illegally. Ted Cruz thinks the President intends to do it just a few months before the election just like he did in 2012.   If we pass into law an explicit provision that the President can’t do this it goes a long way to eliminating the promise of amnesty which is why these kids are coming.

The rest of the clip is about the House passing a resolution for John Boehner to have the power and the authority to sue the President.

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